Support for breastfeeding
Although
so many experts recommend breastfeeding as the best way of feeding your
baby and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be breastfed
up to 12 months of age (with exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months),
it’s easier said than done. Why? Because when it comes to practicalities there
just isn‘t that much support out there.
Most
moms have to return to work when their baby is still very tiny and if their
employer isn’t very sympathetic in giving them time to express milk, it can
just seem easier to switch over to formula. Figures from the Centers for
Disease Control show that just 30 percent of breastfed babies are exclusively
fed on breast milk up until three months of age, and only 41 percent of six-month-old
babies get any breast milk at all. And some moms don’t even try breastfeeding
period, surrounded as they are by advertisements for formula milk that make
bottlefeeding seem like the norm and by a culture that’s not very forgiving
when it comes to catching you in the act of breastfeeding.
It’s
vital that women who want to breastfeed have support from people around them:
their family, friends, employers; and also the permission of society to do so.
Unfortunately, some women may feel intimidated or uncomfortable about the
prospect of breastfeeding in public and it’s the duty of the general
public to allay those negative feelings. Despite the fact that it’s a mom’s
legal right to breastfeed in public, many moms feel they can’t and those that
do often run into problems.
Attitudes
need to change in society and employers could help this happen by instituting
breastfeeding friendly initiatives – for example, a room where employees can
express milk. If you’re not the only new mom at your place of work, why don’t
you join forces to ask your bosses to set the wheels in motion? You have the
perfect argument in the fact that breastfed babies are less likely to suffer from
a whole range of illnesses, including vomiting and diarrhea, allergies, eczema, ear infections and urinary tract infections among others. That translates
into far fewer personal days off for you to take care of a sick child. Plus the
fact that you’ll be able to continue to ensure your baby benefits from your
breast milk will make you a far happier and productive employee when you return
from your maternity leave.
Lastly,
women often need hands-on support to get breastfeeding right – if you’re not
sure if you’re latching your baby on correctly make sure you get that support
by contacting a local lactation counselor who can check what you’re doing – La
Leche League International (www.llli.org) has an online tool for
finding a lactation counselor.
Why
not chat to other moms about this, or other topics, by leaving a message on the
feeding and food area of our chat forum? Alternately, if you want
to meet other moms in your area with similar age babies, visit our people section to find out what’s
happening in your area, or join or start one of our groups.
The information in this feature is intended for
educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the
health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a
doctor or other healthcare professional.
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Last Modified: 18/06/2007
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